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The Difference that makes the Difference

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES / The key to the success of any individual or

organisation is continuous learning of modelling behaviour, says M R

Chandramowly.

SOCIAL scientists, industrial psychologists and management experts, especially from last60 years have been continuously engaged in search of human excellence. They have

come up with research findings on reasons for performance excellence, differentiatingfactors of business super stars from time to time. They have presented us with tools andmodels such as MBO, Balance Score Card, TQM, and Six-sigma to focus on the processaspect of business. We have Silva Mind Control, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP),Yogic Linguistic Programming (YLP), Action Learning, People Capability Maturity Model(PCMM), 7 Habits Model, Emotional Intelligence Model, and a large variety of Leadershipmodels built around people processes to achieve success.

I recognise all these as complementary to define a competency model for an organisationand to map it for the key jobs, considering the current new changes, new learning and newchallenges of industries, to finally evolve success models updating and expanding the

leadership competency portfolio choices.

The objective of all different tools and techniques of people development is only to knowwhat brings out star performance, how people successfully cross the waves of turbulence,how one can make a difference and become unique by using specific mix of competenciesand to discover whats the difference that makes the difference.

NLP is programming our behaviour and the way we organise our ideas and actions, whichproduces expected and unexpected results. Neuro is our thinking process using oursenses. It is 'linguistic' in the ways we use language and how it influences us and thosearound us.

I can see the roots of these principles in our ancient wisdom. Indian thinkers thousands ofyears ago have done this dissection of body, mind and intellect of human personality. Theyanalysed the interplay of the organs of perception and actions of the body, feeling andemotions of mind, thinking and contemplation of intellect. It is interesting to see howmarvellously these concepts are further developed and systematised for learning andapplication for practical life success by the western thinkers and equally disappointing tosee how we have safely preserved these doctrines of life sciences in our pooja rooms

Wednesday, Nov 24, 2004

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of Chandramowl

Leadership Competency Series

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and feel proud of it without bringing it out using in real life.

One of the key drivers of the work by Richard Bandler and John Grinder (who developedNLP during early 1970) was to discover how people excel and most particularly whenmanaging change. Their studies indicated that certain basic principles needed to be in

place to create the difference that makes the difference. The competency movement alsodeveloped during this time by David McClelland.

The basic principles of excellence defined by NLP are: (1) We have all the resources weneed, (2) The meaning of any communication is the effect it has (3) There is no failure,only feed back (4) The map is not the territory and every person's map is unique.

At different points of time, we have achieved success. NLP suggests; if we recall the wayswe did so, then we can transfer these to any of our present-day challenges. Be itconfidence, energy, strength or other personal resource, we have used it somewhere inour past and can access it again. This can be compared to the concept of seven chakras

raising our consciousness levels from selfishness to selflessness. It is important to notethat the tools are within us and private victory always precedes public victory.

The meaning of any communication is the effect it has.

What happens when you talk or send an e-mail to someone? Sometimes the reply youreceive is completely unexpected in content? Do you feel it is awkward, ignorant andcontrary to the way you want? Can you change the effect? No.

However, once you understand your part in the equation and do something different to putacross your intended message, you can make difference and communicate.

There is no failure, only feedback.

How do you react when, in your opinion, things to wrong? Are you persistent attemptersdoing same things over and again till you get it right? Or, do you think it over and decidewhat you can do differently for a better result? Imagine a past failure situation when youdid a mistake. Now imagine the same situation and what could you have done differently?Learning from feedback means you are more like to be flexible rather than rigid in yourdealings with yourself and others. Thomas Edison responding on why it took so long toinvent the light bulb said: Every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.

The map is not the territory; every persons map is unique.

My way of looking at things is unique to me, yours is unique to you. A lover of nature likesa flower blossoming in the plant. A youth may like the same flower on the braid of hisbeloved. A devotee likes a flower from the deity in shrine. But a flower-vendor likes aflower for money! said DVG. Think of the people with whom you are in contact at yourworkplace colleagues, bosses, peers, senior mangers, customers or suppliers. Howmight their mind maps differ from yours? If you are able to put all the different perceptions

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together, you will come much closer to a complete picture, than if you stay within theboundaries of your own view. If you accept this principle of NLP, then you respect andrejoice in difference.

Establishing outcomes

The first and central step in NLP is to establish outcomes. It is important to focus positivelyon what you want achieve. What do you want? What would you like to happen? Removalof negative ideas and thoughts are equally important. Instead of saying Dont look behindyou, we can say Keep looking forward. The statement keep looking forward indicatesthe distant objective to be achieved and 'don't look behind you, would immediately turnthe head to avoid something.

Be specific in describing your positive outcome. Asking yourself what? Who? When?How? Where? makes you to move from general to specific terms, enabling to focus onanswers and solutions. What will you see, hear and feel when it is happening? NLP

emphasizes to imagine as much sensory-based evidence as you can to enhance theenergy and application of your outcome. Whose outcome is it? It is yours.

If you are depended on others and waiting for other to change, you may risk becoming apassive spectator. Consider your own part of contribution to the process.

The success of achieving your outcome depends on how much you want it. How does it fitin with other aspects of your life? A well-formed outcome will include all the resourcesinternal and external, which you have used before and are transferable. The acquisition ofexternal resources needs greater planning. If you know what you need, you have betterchances of acquiring those.

Perceptual positions - an exercise

Perceptual position is technique to increase your effectiveness in relating to others byextending your information about the way they behave and how they make their choices.On an occasion when you seem stuck in your communication, it can be very valuable tochange your position, literally and figuratively and look at the different views of thesituation. Think of an unsatisfactory situation between you and some one else. Put threesheets of paper on the floor, labelled self, other and observer. Stand on self facingthe other and recognise how you experience the situation you have chosen. Then moveaway and turn around. Stand on the other sheet and recognise how you, as the other

person might experience the interaction. Step on the neutral position observer sheet andlook at self and other. What is or what is not being achieved. On this sheet, you cannottake sides and use emotions, as you are an observer. Now move back to self and repeatthe stages as many times as you need again to gain full information and insight.

You can decide what you will do because of your new understanding. NLP principles workonly, if one enjoys new ideas, willing to change, open to look for another opportunity forlearning and has an open mind. If some people say you cannot teach an old dog new

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trick, I have never tried things like this before - they never work or Nothing will make mechange, then, NLP won't work for them.

The author is an HRD and leadership competency consultant. E-mail:mowly@indiatimes.com